- March 28, 2025
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These seven artists don’t just live on Sarasota’s barrier islands — they draw endless inspiration from them. Their shimmering palettes and dynamic subjects reflect the beauty and rhythm of life by the water.
Recently, they shared how island living shapes their creative process and offered a glimpse into the deep connection between their art and this paradise they call home.
Longboat Key resident Cheryl Taub is an expressionistic painter whose figurative works capture raw emotions, depicting subjects that feel honest and unguarded. These paintings explore inner turbulence and vulnerability, reflecting the complexities of the human experience. In her landscapes, Taub creates harmony through texture and color, using broad, defined brushstrokes to invite the viewer into the intensity of the moment. She often incorporates collage, blending photographs, scraps of paper and found objects to create a dialogue between the spontaneity of paint and the intentionality of collage, allowing these mediums to intersect in unexpected ways.
Artist origin story. “I was drawing pictures with my father, who was a lawyer but loved art, since I was old enough to hold a crayon. That desire to create art started way back then.”
Layers of life. “I want my figures to explore the vulnerability that defines our lives. My landscapes reflect the beauty and peace of nature. My cityscapes are designed to represent the harsh brick and mortar of buildings, bridges and vehicles surrounding the lives of people who live there.”
An ephemeral creative process. “My technique is to take my own photographs or find them at flea markets, print them on paper, manipulate them in Photoshop, wet them and crumple them and adhere them to canvas. I embellish them with all types of ephemera, and I paint on the canvas with acrylics.”
Color palette. “I love black and white photos and am drawn to blues, yellows and sepia to get a vintage effect.”
Communing with other creators. “When I became a member of Creative Liberties two years ago, I found a community of talented, interesting fellow artists who have been a true inspiration to me. We’re a family.”
More information: visit CherylTaub.com.
Siesta Key resident Leslie Butterfield’s artistic journey spans continents and careers. With degrees in fiber arts, design and art history, she has been an artist, tech entrepreneur and software executive. Since retiring to Sarasota in 2015, she co-founded Art in Common Places, a nonprofit bringing art and poetry to public spaces, and has served on Sarasota’s Public Art Committee and Sarasota County’s tourist development grants panel. Butterfield’s colorful paintings blend abstract forms with figurative collage, fostering reflection, gratitude and connections between art, poetry and community.
A Siesta Key sensibility. “Our home is on Bayou Louise, a natural waterway on the north end of Siesta Key. Much of our shoreline is populated with mangroves, and I see shorebirds and manatees from my studio window. My husband and I kayak frequently around Sarasota Bay, where we encounter dolphins and other local sea life. This beautiful nature shows up in my work literally and expressively.”
Creative process. “I work with acrylic paint, watercolor paint and a variety of transparent mediums. Working in layers, I then might add elements such as embroidery thread, feathers, shells or found objects. Water-based media is flexible and quick drying, allowing me to experiment easily throughout my process.”
The colors of her mind. “Juxtaposing teal and orange is my go-to palette. It gives my work a bold feeling, especially when I add other bright colors. These blue-green hues are likely inspired by the water that surrounds my home and the orange comes from the exciting sky colors of sunrise and sunset that we enjoy from our third-story view across Big Pass and the Gulf.”
Stormy weather. “Experiencing the devastation from hurricanes Helene and Milton deeply impacted my work. I recently created mixed-media paintings incorporating miniature debris found on my property and in Bayou Louise, expressing the shock of seeing such widespread destruction.
More information: Contact Leslie at Leslie.Butterfield@comcast.net.
Susan Coyne’s diverse career has always been driven by aesthetics. From fabric and fashion to earning a degree in landscape design, her work explores the connection between objects and the emotions they evoke. Living on both Longboat Key and Nantucket, her love for the ocean and boats deeply influences her art. She believes the space between objects is as meaningful as the objects themselves, often depicting minimal scenes to convey more. Her background in landscape design and coastal surroundings shape her vision, with light, fog and horizon lines often featured in her work. These images, inspired by childhood memories and coastal landscapes, invite viewers to engage with the scene and create their own narratives.
Artist origin story. “I was born in England and spent time on the coast with my aunt in Cornwall, who was an artist. She encouraged me to sketch on the cliffs. This led me to join the plein air group, Light Chasers, where I developed my love for painting outdoors around Sarasota and the keys.”
Coastal vibe. “Living on Longboat Key for 23 years, I’m surrounded by everything I need for my work: the rhythm of the waves, the colors of the Gulf’s waters and the tranquility of the white sands. There’s never a shortage of inspiration here. I’m deeply grateful every time I return home.”
Creative process. “My creative process begins with inspiration — often from reading poetry, researching, taking photos and creating studies. I then execute the final piece based on these ideas and visual references. Starting a painting with the tools of oil and cold wax, I enjoy experimenting with textures using squeegees, bowl scrapers and brayers to create interesting marks.”
Locally sourced inspiration. “Sarasota’s galleries, museums and coastal scenery are constant sources of inspiration. Recently, the silence and solitude I experienced through fog wrapping the landscape left a lasting impression on me.”
Signs of completion. “A painting is finished when it has nothing more to say to me.”
More information: Visit SusanCoyneStudio.com
Lido Shores denizen Miriam Cassell is a fine artist and activist whose work has been shown in museums and galleries around the nation and world. She advocates for justice, feminism and inclusivity in a wide range of mediums. Her provocative “Screamers” series depicts people expressing unmasked emotion without hypocrisy. Cassell also challenges all forms of prejudice with engaging and highly personal portraits and studies. Her nude portrait of her 70-year-old mother celebrates ageless beauty and defies societal norms.
Artist origin story. “I moved from New York to Sarasota for its beautiful beaches and warm climate year-round. My husband and I fell in love with a 1952 Philip Hiss-designed Sarasota School of Architecture mid-century house with an attached art studio in Lido Shores, right next to the beach. The peaceful surroundings and vibrant arts community have deeply inspired my creative process.”
Art as an activist activity. “I’m a versatile fine artist and outspoken art activist. For over five decades, I’ve created works that address issues such as injustice, intolerance, hypocrisy, discrimination and other social wrongs. My art seeks to raise awareness, inspire compassion and push for justice across all walks of life, aiming to bring attention to marginalized groups regardless of age, ability, or gender.”
Mediums and techniques. “I work in a variety of mediums and techniques, from life-size pastel and acrylic paintings to digital art, fiber art, photography, collage, book art, wearable art, silk screen and wall hangings. My art is often presented in large installations that invite the viewer to engage with the message on a deeper level.”
Artistic mission and vision. “From the beginning of my career, my goal has been to create a body of work that challenges viewers to rethink their perceptions and make a positive impact on the way they view the world. I hope my art encourages people to engage with social issues, see humanity’s struggles more clearly, and act with greater empathy and compassion.”
Siesta Key resident Meg Krakowiak is an award-winning artist best known for her vibrant use of color. Initially inspired by Degas and the beauty of pastels, Krakowiak creates work exploring color, light and texture. Ten years ago, Krakowiak created a business model combining both her working studio and retail gallery into one space on Palm Avenue in Sarasota. This allows the artist to create, meet clients and showcase her work all at the same time. Krakowiak is known for her imaginative color combinations and creating art that “brings happiness into your home.”
Siesta sensibility. “When I start painting, I think about the concept and the composition, but my inspiration always comes from the colors. The ever-changing color palette and imagery on Siesta Key with its white crystal sands and reflective waters provides a treasure of color combinations that I can re-create on the canvas.”
I was drawn to pastels at a young age. “I like the way the chalk picked up the texture of the paper. In many of my pieces I’ll use a somewhat dry bush and ‘color’ more than paint.”
A piece is finished when. “I spend more time just looking at it and less time painting! Or put differently, I can’t think of one thing I could change that would make it better.”
Visit MegKrakowiakStudios.com.
Debbie and Peter Stanick founded Exit Art in 1990 at the Centre Shops on Longboat Key, later expanding to a second location at the Charthouse in 1997. Inspired by MoMA’s design store concept, Exit Art evolved to focus on clothing and jewelry alongside art. Debbie describes their curatorial approach as “deeply personal,” rooted in lasting relationships with artists and their work. Peter Stanick, one of the gallery’s signature artists, has work in such prestigious collections as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Carnegie Museum of Art. Known for his precise ink-on-aluminum technique, his style is intentionally mechanical, appearing “more machine-like than human” and is influenced by James Rosenquist, Robert Rauschenberg, and Roy Lichtenstein.
Kate Hendrickson maintains studios in Chicago and Siesta Key. She holds an MFA from the University of Denver and has taught at Barat College and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. A former international art dealer specializing in late 19th- to mid-20th-century works on paper, Hendrickson eventually returned to her own artistic practice. Locally, she has exhibited at Grace Howl Contemporary Art, Art Center Sarasota, and SPAACES. She shows some of her work at 502 Gallery in Sarasota. An avid cyclist, Hendrickson recently shared the inspiration behind her colored pencil series, “Bicycle Dynamism.”
“Cycling is more than a physical activity — it’s a liberating journey filled with energy, connection and freedom. Riding shoulder to shoulder, the dynamic flow of a pace line or the thrill of a sprint reflects cycling’s vitality. The bicycle itself is a marvel of timeless engineering, its geometric elegance enduring for over a century. In my drawings, I capture this essence through bold colors, dynamic shapes and spatial relationships, echoing the sport’s expressive nature. Like cycling, art is transformative — a joyful pursuit that invites others to experience the beauty, freedom and exhilaration of the ride.”
Visit KateHendrickson.com.
